State Senator Accuses Fellow Lawmakers of Sexual Harassment

ST. LOUIS, MO — Democratic state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who represents parts of St. Louis County in Missouri's General Assembly, has released a short film detailing several instances of sexual harassment she says she faced while working in Jefferson City.

Published to YouTube, the film recounts an allegation first reported in January 2017 when Chappelle-Nadal accused Democratic state Rep. Josh Peters of grabbing her arm and calling her "boo." When Chappelle-Nadal rebuffed him, she said, he called her a "b-tch."

Peters denied those allegations, accusing Chappelle-Nadal of trying to grab attention and headlines, though he later admitted to the Associated Press that had cursed at his fellow lawmaker.

“Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal is known for being mentally unstable as demonstrated time and time again by her own words and actions," Peters told the Kansas City Star in 2017.

Chappelle-Nadal was censured by the Missouri Senate later that year for a Facebook comment in which she said she hoped President Donald Trump was assassinated. She later deleted the comment and apologized.

"Rep. Josh Peters, you do not have a right to touch me, nor call me "Boo," Chappelle-Nadal wrote on Twitter last year. "We don't have a relationship where you get to put your hands on me."

She filed an ethics complaint against Peters, but it was dismissed a month later. House Ethics Committee records do not reveal the details of the committee's investigation or how the matter was resolved since it was handled in a closed session.

The General Counsel for the Missouri House of Representatives later told Chappelle-Nadal that some people had refused to cooperate in the investigation into Peters and that the committee had been unable to substantiate her allegations. A recording of this conversation is featured in the film.

Chappelle-Nadal also makes accusations against Ed Wildberger, a former Democratic House member who represented a district south of Kansas City until 2009, and Don Calloway, another former Democratic House member who represented parts of south St. Louis County until 2011.

"There was a guy from out state Missouri who put his hand on my butt, and he was a member of my caucus, and I didn't say anything that time because I was so shocked that it happened," she said, referring to Wildberger.

In another incident, Calloway — according to Chappelle-Nadal — came up to her from behind, put his hands on her shoulders, and said, "I should have hooked up with you before I married my wife."

Chappelle-Nadal said she hopes the video, which includes footage of her speaking at the St. Louis Women's March in January, will inspire others to speak out about sexual harassment and that she made the film, in part, to get some closure on the incidents.

Missouri Speaker John Diehl, a Republican, resigned after admitting to sending sexual texts to a college-age intern in 2015 and the Missouri House has investigated at least six sexual harassment complaints since then, according to the Associated Press. No action was taken against any of the accused lawmakers.

Photo: State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, right of center, is one several women leading the St. Louis Women's March in January. (J. Ryne Danielson/Patch)